


in which dante hated shoes, until he didn't

by niixna



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: And Then He Doesn't, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, dante hates shoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 17:04:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15393393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niixna/pseuds/niixna
Summary: Dante doesn't like shoes.





	in which dante hated shoes, until he didn't

**Author's Note:**

> i was scrolling through tumblr when i came across a post by briseisbooks on tumblr and i think it was glorious.

Dante detested shoes. 

Name it. They could be tennis shoes, boots, dress shoes, goddamned UGS, the comfiest bunny slippers known to man— to just a regular pair of sandals. Anything that had to go in his feet, he hated. 

In the years that they’ve lived together, every day was a struggle. 

Going out to get some groceries? A scenario like this would happen, “I don’t know why I can’t just walk barefoot? It’s a block away.” 

“Dante,” Ari sighs, “It’s a 105 outside.”

“Well, I guess we’ll be having roasted feet for dinner then.” 

“That’s so terrible, I can’t even believe you said that.” 

Going back to El Paso to visit their parents? You can bet your ass Dante was barefoot the minute he walked out of the car. 

Most of the time, Dante loved to show off his pedicure (which Ari did for him— for a vocational course back in college, don’t ask him why Dante loved to talk him into things he doesn’t even think of), so wearing shoes was definitely at an all-time decline. 

Then, Estrella came into their lives. 

Estrella is the centre of their world. Both Ari and Dante orbited around little Estrella. She is beautiful, with how the little tuffs of her hair would curl, with her adorable giggles, and God, Dante definitely cried the first time she held his finger for the first time (and yes, Ari cried too.)

Estrella is the most beautiful star in the sky. And by God, Ari and Dante were going to protect her with their damn lives. 

As Estrella grew up, much to Ari’s dismay, she too inherited Dante’s disdain for anything related to shoes. She and Dante would run through their backyard barefoot. There was also a time where Ari had left them alone to go to the park (making sure they had worn sandals before they left) and came back with said sandals wrecked and barely functional. 

“This is how kids learn to bond with nature, amor.” Dante had chided flipping eggs, “they feel the earth beneath their feet. What do I always tell you; we were born without shoes.”

Ari gently tapped him with a roll of newspaper, “Don’t be a wiseass Dante.” 

“Angel Aristotle Quintana-Mendoza!” Dante gasped in the tone Ari knew not to be serious, “Not in front of Stella!” 

Ari chuckled. 

God, he loved this man. 

Then, there was an accident when Estrella turned six. 

Their dog, Teddy (Estrella had named her after a teddy bear she had loved to pieces), had knocked over a vase, shattering it to a million pieces. 

Ari got to cleaning up the mess while the rest of the family went to take Teddy out for a walk. 

As if routine, when they came back both of them were barefoot. When Dante opened the door Estrella and Teddy rushed inside. 

Fondly, Ari kneeled about to meet his daughter with a hug—like he’s done so many times before, but this time became different. Their little star had suddenly stopped. 

There was a moment of silence, then came a loud heartbreaking wailing. 

Both parents immediately ran after their daughter. Ari reaching her first, lowered himself in front of her, “Mi estrellita, what’s wrong?” 

She was inconsolable. Ari hefted her up on his hips rocking her, trying to console her to calm down enough to tell them what was wrong. 

“Ari,” Dante pointed, “Look.” 

The sole of Kiara left foot had blood all over it, it was running, fresh. 

“Shit.” Ari cursed. He immediately bounded for the kitchen sink. He placed her gently on the counter. Turned the faucet on and extended her leg to where the water was running. 

Dante came with the first aid kit. He rummaged through the white box and got the tweezers. He handed them to Ari and he took hold of his daughter. 

“Shhh,” Dante patted her back, “It’s alright mi amor, your Papa will fix everything.” 

With the tweezers, Ari pulled out the offending shard. 

It was such a small thing, but it changed Dante’s world completely. 

After this accident, Dante never lets any of them go barefoot. 

“You are not going outside without your sandals!” 

“Estrella! you have runners, please wear them.” 

“Angel Aristotle Quintana-Mendoza, I swear to God that if you ever move around the house without your shoes on ever, you will sleep on the couch forever.” 

One day as he came back from a run with Teddy, he caught Dante phone, “But mom, it’s driving me nuts how she won’t listen! I keep telling them to wear their shoes! It’s like something up there is trying to punish me. We have money for shoes, I can get them shoes, but they just choose not to wear them like uncivilised members of society. Why do I have to endure too much!”

Ari could hear the melody of Soledad’s laugh from the other line, and then fondly; “Now you know how I felt.”


End file.
